Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy

Phase the Second: Maiden No More, Chapters XII–XV

Chapters XX–XXIV

Summary: Chapter XVI

In good spirits, Tess sets out to begin work at the Talbothays
Dairy, located in the Valley of the Great Dairies. On her way, the
new scenery enchants her as she travels through the mists of Blackmoor.
The beautiful day and the beautiful landscape put Tess in an optimistic mood.
She passes the burial ground of her ancient ancestors, but decides
to keep going.

Summary: Chapter XVII

Tess finally arrives at the Talbothays Dairy. Richard
Crick, the master dairyman, treats her kindly and offers to let
her rest, but she prefers to begin work immediately. She quickly
fits in and feels very much at home. One of the men at the dairy
looks familiar to her, and she recognizes him as the highbrow man
whom she noticed back at the May Day village dance in Marlott. That
evening, Tess overhears the dairymaids talking about him and learns
that he is Angel Clare, the son of a well-respected Wessex clergyman.
Angel’s two brothers have also joined the church, but Angel himself
prefers a life in agriculture and, thus, has come to the dairy to
learn about its work. There is much talk about Angel among the other
dairymaids, and many of them seem to have a crush on him.

Summary: Chapter XVIII

The narrator shifts away from Tess’s point of view to
tell us Angel’s background story. Angel is the most gifted of the
three brothers, but, because his father looked upon a university
education solely as preparation for a clerical life, Angel decided
not to go to Cambridge. He has doubts about the doctrines of the
church and feels that it would be dishonest to join the clergy.
He has spent time in London in an attempt to find a business profession
and has been involved with an older woman. Finally, he decided that
the life of the soil would enable him to preserve his intellectual
liberty outside the stifling conditions of city life. Now twenty-six
years old, he learns firsthand about farming by visiting sites devoted
to the subject. He is gentlemanly and thoughtful and is treated
as a superior by most of the workers at the dairy. Angel acts aloof
and a bit shy at first, but he soon befriends the other workers
and spends more time with them. He swiftly finds himself drawn to
Tess’s beauty and thinks that she seems uncommonly virginal and
pure. Tess, however, tries to stay away from him out of shame for
her secret, woeful past.

Summary: Chapter XIX

After a few weeks, Tess discovers that Angel is breaking
the dairy’s rules by lining up her favorite cows for her. She tells
him of her discovery and, later that night, walks alone in the garden,
listening to him strum his harp. He comes down to join her, and
they have an intimate conversation. Angel finds it compelling that
a girl as young and beautiful as Tess would have such a dark view
of life. She deflects his questions about her with general comments
about life, and then she inquires about him. Tess is interested
in Angel’s education and learning, and she also wonders why such
a well-bred and well-schooled man would choose to become a farmer
instead of joining his father and brothers in the clergy. He offers
to tutor her, but she refuses, claiming that the answers she seeks
are not to be found in books.

Analysis: Chapters XVI–XIX

These chapters portray the beginning of the happiest period
of Tess’s life. The narrator indicates that she “had never been
in her recent life so happy as she was now, possibly never would
be so happy again.” This turn in tone is matched by a healthier
landscape, and she is perfectly suited to her surroundings. Tess’s
simple, rustic beauty is matched by the country paradise of the
dairy, and the ripening weather of summer matches the blossoming
romance between Tess and Angel.

Tess is in control of her emotions and, it appears, of
her life. The setting allows her to deal with her past melancholy,
and these chapters serve as development, on a number of levels,
of Tess’s newfound success: her return to normal life, her achievement
as a worker, and her success as a more virtuous lover. This perspective
is mirrored by the background of Talbothays, a quiet, slow-paced
paradise where Tess can be calm and comfortable.

Tess’s assertion that the answers she seeks are not to
be found in books indicates that she wants to learn directly from
life experiences. Tess is ready to experience the world, and, of
course, she has already made some mistakes as a result. Her assertion
demonstrates that she wants to become knowledgeable and self-sufficient.
In other words, she does not want to rely on anyone else. This independence
contrasts with the way Tess’s mother used to consult the fortune-telling
book for all her guidance. In the same way that Angel seeks to become
independent from his family’s current legacy, Tess wants to become
independent of hers.

These chapters fully introduce Angel into the novel.
A great deal of narrative and an entire chapter are devoted to summarizing
his recent accomplishments and family background. Given that Angel is
introduced immediately after the saga between Tess and the ruthless
Alec d’Urberville, the contrasts between these two men emerge vividly
in these chapters. For instance, Angel has soothing, elegant conversations
with Tess and gives her classical, idealistic nicknames like “Artemis”
and “Demeter.” Alec, on the other hand, mocks her with demeaning
words and low-society nicknames like “coz.” Through this juxtaposition,
Angel appears an angel and a savior to the troubled but coping Tess.